Nuclear plant operators must pay price for missing deadline

Recent announcements by three electric utilities that they will miss the deadline for taking legally required anti-terrorism measures for their nuclear power plants raises serious questions about their commitment to nuclear safety.

Kansai Electric Power Co., Kyushu Electric Power Co. and Shikoku Electric Power Co. said on April 17 that they will miss the deadline for completing the facilities to respond to emergencies triggered by terrorist attacks against their reactors. The reactors include ones that have been restarted after being shut down following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

The companies have asked the Nuclear Regulation Authority to extend the deadline.

The facilities in question are supposed to be at the forefront of efforts to prevent severe nuclear accidents in the event their reactors come under terrorist attacks using aircraft.

The utilities should not be permitted to continue their operations until this crucial safety aspect is fixed.

We call on the nuclear safety watchdog to take a firm stand toward their request.

Nuclear plant operators are required to erect anti-terrorism facilities under new nuclear safety standards that took........